LITTLE WOMEN

ANNA TETRUASHVILI
EDITOR WHO AGREES TO PUBLISH A STORY SHE HAS WRITTEN. HER YOUNGEST
SISTER, AMY, WHO IS IN PARIS WITH THEIR AUNT MARCH, ATTENDS A PARTY WITH
THEIR CHILDHOOD FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR, LAURIE. AMY BECOMES ANGRY AT
LAURIE'S DRUNKEN BEHAVIOR, PROMPTING HIM TO MOCK HER FOR SPENDING
TIME WITH WEALTHY BUSINESSMAN FRED VAUGHN. IN NEW YORK, JO BECOMES
HURT WHEN FRIEDRICH BHAER, A PROFESSOR INFATUATED WITH HER,
CONSTRUCTIVELY CRITICIZES HER WRITING, CAUSING HER TO END THEIR
FRIENDSHIP. AFTER LEARNING FROM A LETTER THAT HER YOUNGER SISTER BETH'S
ILLNESS HAS WORSENED, JO RETURNS HOME TO CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

AT A PARTY WITH HER OLDER SISTER, MEG, SEVEN YEARS EARLIER, JO BEFRIENDS
LAURIE. ON CHRISTMAS MORNING, THE GIRLS' MOTHER, "MARMEE", PERSUADES
THEM TO GIVE THEIR BREAKFAST TO THEIR POOR NEIGHBOR MRS. HUMMEL AND
HER STARVING CHILDREN. AFTER RETURNING HOME, THEY FIND A TABLE FULL OF
FOOD GIVEN TO THEM BY THEIR NEIGHBOR AND LAURIE'S GRANDFATHER, MR.
LAURENCE. MARMEE THEN READS A LETTER FROM THEIR FATHER FIGHTING IN
THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. JO REGULARLY VISITS AUNT MARCH TO READ TO HER,
HOPING AUNT MARCH WOULD INVITE HER TO EUROPE.

WHEN MEG, JO, LAURIE, AND JOHN—LAURIE'S TUTOR AND MEG'S EVENTUAL
HUSBAND—GO TO THE THEATRE, A JEALOUS AMY BURNS JO'S WRITINGS. THE NEXT
MORNING, AMY, WANTING TO MAKE UP WITH AN UPSET JO, CHASES HER AND
LAURIE ONTO A LAKE WHERE THE TWO ARE SKATING. THEY SAVE AMY AFTER SHE
FALLS THROUGH THE ICE. MR. LAURENCE NOTICES BETH'S QUIET DEMEANOR AND
INVITES HER TO PLAY HIS LATE DAUGHTER'S PIANO IN HIS HOUSE. MEG SITS DOWN
WITH JOHN IN THE PRESENT AFTER BUYING AN EXPENSIVE FABRIC THEY
COULDN'T AFFORD, DURING WHICH SHE EXPRESSES HER UNHAPPINESS ABOUT
BEING POOR. LAURIE VISITS AMY TO APOLOGIZE FOR HIS BEHAVIOR AND URGES
HER NOT TO MARRY FRED BUT TO MARRY HIM INSTEAD. THOUGH IN LOVE WITH
LAURIE, AMY REFUSES, UPSET AT ALWAYS BEING SECOND TO JO. DESPITE THIS, SHE
TURNS DOWN FRED'S PROPOSAL. IN NEW YORK, MR. DASHWOOD AGREES TO
PUBLISH JO'S NOVEL AFTER HIS DAUGHTERS DEMAND TO KNOW HOW IT ENDS, BUT
HE REFUSES TO ACCEPT THE PROTAGONIST REMAINING UNMARRIED IN THE END.
TO APPEASE HIM, JO ENDS HER NOVEL WITH THE PROTAGONIST, HERSELF,
STOPPING BHAER FROM LEAVING FOR CALIFORNIA. SHE SUCCESSFULLY
NEGOTIATES COPYRIGHT AND ROYALTIES WITH MR. DASHWOOD. FOLLOWING
AUNT MARCH'S PASSING, JO INHERITS HER HOUSE AND OPENS IT AS A SCHOOL,